Plans to create new Stafford Town Council move forward - and could preserve 400-year-old tradition

The county town is currently the only unparished area in Stafford Borough, meaning it does not have a town or parish council.

Over the years, calls have been made to create a Stafford town council. They have been renewed following the Government’s plans to move to a unitary authority system across England, meaning current borough, district and county councils are facing the axe.

The creation of single, larger unitary authorities has led to concerns about future representation of towns and villages. Speaking at Tuesday’s full Stafford Borough Council meeting, Councillor Tony Pearce said: “It’s somewhat ironic legislation which will potentially see the demise of Stafford Borough Council is called the Devolution Bill, when in fact the reality is a lot of decision making will be taken away from the majority of people around the town of Stafford.

“I feel there is a need for us to have a representative body within the town – and there are many other activities that need the support of that kind of body. I hope we are going to move forward with this project and ultimately to see the creation of a Stafford Town Council.”

The creation of a town council would also mean the tradition of a Stafford Mayor and Deputy Mayor could be preserved and transferred following the abolition of the borough authority. Stafford’s first Mayor, Matthew Craddock, was elected in 1614 following the granting of a Mayoral Charter by King James I.

Councillor Ralph Cooke said: “Stone Town Council has a Mayor and we would have the same for a Stafford Town Council, which would continue centuries of tradition. I think it is a very important thing – I would hate to feel Stafford Borough is extinct with nothing else after centuries.

“I hope there will be general agreement we should go ahead in order to create a Stafford Town Council.”

At Tuesday’s meeting (December 2), councillors voted to conduct a Community Governance Review of Stafford Town, which will consider the creation of a new town council. A budget of £36,000 is set to be allocated towards consultation costs of the review, which will be drawn from 2025/26 council reserves.

A report to the full council meeting said: “Once the terms of reference have been established, the council must notify the county council and must carry out consultation with all local government electors for the area under review, and any other person or body which appears to have an interest in the review. 

"An initial consultation will seek views on the principle of creating a new parish for the town; if appropriate, further consultation may be required to assist in drawing up final recommendations.

“Final recommendations would usually be published within 12 months of the commencement of the review. Recommendations are then considered by council along with the terms of a draft ‘establishment order’ creating the new arrangements.

“A decision should be made before 1 December in the preceding year of elections so that electoral registers and data can be updated. Parish council elections are held every four years with the next ordinary year of elections scheduled to take place in 2027.”

A Stafford Town Council Working Group has already been set up to consider the creation of the new council and each political group leader on the borough authority has nominated members to join it. 

The group has recommended that the area to be reviewed should “encompass the unparished area of Stafford Borough and the current parished area of Doxey; and that the review should consider what the boundaries of any new parish should be, what the name of the parish should be, whether any new parish should have a parish council and what electoral arrangements should be introduced for the parish council,” the council report said.

But Councillor Mark Winnington said the views of Doxey residents, who already have their own parish council, should be taken into consideration. He said: “My concern is that Doxey Parish Council spends a lot of time and energy – when you are talking about Doxey in this way, can I implore you to listen to the people of Doxey and make sure they do want to be taken into this bigger body.”

Councillor Jeremy Pert called for other areas on the edge of Stafford Town to be considered too, such as Beaconside and the new Marston Grange estate, which are currently part of other parish areas. “We need to make sure we don’t disenfranchise people”, he added.